Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it to tenant farmers and went away. When the time came to harvest fruit, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his fruit. The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group, and they did the same to them. Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So, they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers? He will completely destroy those terrible men and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his fruit at the harvest.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read the scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is what the Lord has done and It’s wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them.
– Matthew 21:33-45
Devotion
Jesus tells a parable designed to get the attention of the Jewish religious leaders. The main point of this parable is that the Jewish nation failed to be God’s spokespeople in the world. They rejected the message of the prophets and were getting ready to kill the Son of God. God is getting ready to judge the Jewish nation and turn over His mission to a new people. These new people will produce fruit in accordance with God’s kingdom work. This parable speaks of past history and communicates future prophecy that will be fulfilled by Christ’s church.
The Big Question
Who do the characters in Jesus’ parable represent? How did the Jewish leaders react to this parable? How does this parable tie-in to Bob’s summary of the Old Testament? Where do you see yourself in this parable? Are you producing fruit in accordance with God’s kingdom work?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.